Its incredible versatility has lent it easily to rock, jazz, R 'n' B, heavy metal, reggae and classic guitar tunes. From the start, its sound could differ completely between genres or even from player to player. The acoustic bass guitar is similar to an acoustic guitar with a large, hollow body that is clearly audible without amplification. The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument similar to an electric guitar but larger in size and with a deeper tone. It is also closely related to the double bass and shares things in common with a range of bass instruments. However, they are relatively quiet compared most other acoustic instruments and many ABGs retain pickups to enable them to function with louder ensembles while still maintaining some of the acoustic characteristics of the sound. See The Violent Femmes' first album for an example of acoustic bass playing in modern rock music. The instrument has hardly changed in the 50 years that it has produced Buddy Holly hits, the blues riffs of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the soulful sounds of Eric Clapton, the shimmering tone of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, the sound of Joe Walsh of the Eagles, and the melodies of Jeff Beck. Buy Guitar Online.